How to create the perfect stacked frame design

Sometimes one frame is not enough! Stacking is a design technique that layers two or more frame profiles together to create a richer, more dynamic look.

 In this post, we’ll walk you through the essential tips for blending textures, sizes and colour for a curated stacked, custom frame design.

Our goal is to enhance your piece and help you love it even more. So choosing the right combination of frame design elements is key. Our approach balances the artwork with your personal style, resulting in a refined finish that feels intentional, elegant, and at home in your space. 
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Stacking mouldings encourages creative freedom, but it’s important to take a thoughtful approach. A combination of widths, finishes, textures and colours does a few things. In this guide, we’ll share four expert tips for stacking frames.

Colour

Playing with colour allows us to pull different accents of the artwork to the forefront, giving a more balanced look to the overall result. To do this, we may use an outer moulding in a more neutral tone, such as wood or classic metallic, and add an inner profile that ties in to a more prominent or even subtle colour in the work. In some cases, this introduces just the right amount of ‘pop’. In other designs, we take the opposite approach, using a brighter colour for the outer frame and a more tonal moulding on the inside. Either way, the goal is to create a frame design that complements the piece rather than one that feels in competition with it.

Size

Stacking mouldings creates visual weight and elegance, helping the piece feel intentional and expertly finished. Sometimes this is done to add sizing to a smaller art piece that needs to live in a larger space. Other times, it’s simply for the grandeur! Because our eyes travel inward toward a work, we often use a substantial width as the main profile for presence and structure and a thinner moulding for the inside frame. If we combine two of the same-sized mouldings, it would not create as interesting a look and might come across as repetitive.

Style

A stacked frame design is also a great way to bridge styles. Pair a traditional inner moulding with a clean, contemporary outer frame, or mix metallic and wood finishes for a subtle, modern edge. The possibilities are endless, and every combination is tailored to the artwork and your space.

Texture and finishes

Similarly, this type of frame design allows us to incorporate contrasting elements to add personality.  This time, by introducing opposing textures and finishes. One moulding might have a heavy detail, so adding a secondary moulding with a smoother finish gives our eye a needed break. We might want to include a high-lacquered moulding with a more matte choice as well.   
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Stacking frames is a way to balance proportion, colour, and texture to create a frame design that feels personal and is truly one of a kind.​

Let us guide you through your tailored stacked-frame design.

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